i6 The Persian ^Travels Book I. 



according to the Opinion of the Armenian:, is the moft ancient City of the World ; 

 built about three Leagues from the Mountain upon which the Ark of Noah retted : 

 from whence it alfo takes its Name-, for Nakjm the Armenian Tongue fignifies a 

 Ship , and Sivan , rejiing or repofing. 'Twas a great City, now wholly ruin'd by 

 the Army of Sultan Amurath. There are the Remains of feveral rare Mofquees, 

 which the T nrks have deftroy'd -, for the Turks and Perfians deftroy one anothers 

 Moiquees as faft as they fall into one anothers poffeffion. This City is very ancient, 

 and the Armenians report that it was in this place where Noah went to live , when 

 he went out of the Ark. They lay further, that he was Buried here -, and that 

 his Wife has a Tomb at Marante upon the Road to Tauris. There runs a little 

 River by Naksivan , the Water whereof is very good -, the Spring whereof is not 

 far diftant from the Head of the River ef Karabagler. The Armenians drove a great 

 Trade in Silk formerly in this Town , which is now very much abated : however, 

 there is a Kan which has the Command there. All the Country between Erivan 

 and Tauris was wholly deftroy'd by Sha-Abas King of Perfia, and the firft of that 

 Name - , to the end that the Armies of the Turks, not meeting with any fubfiftance, 

 might perifh of themfelves. To this purpofe , he lent all the Inhabitants of Zulfa 

 and the Parts ad joyning into Per fia , Old and Young , Fathers , Mothers, and Chil- 

 dren , with which he planted new Colonies in feveral parts of his Kingdom. He 

 fent above 27000 Families of Armenians into Guilan , whence the Silks come j and 

 where the harfhnefs of the Climate kill'd abundance of thofe poor People, that 

 were accuftom'd to a milder Air. The moft confiderable were fent to Ifpahan, 

 where the King put them upon the Trade of Silk, and lent them Commodities, 

 for which they paid upon the return of their Markets , which fuddenly let the Ar- 

 menians upon their Feet again. Thele are they that built the City of Zulfa, which 

 is only feparated from Ifpahan by the River of Senderou , calling it New Zulfa , to 

 diftinguifh it from the old City , which was the Habitation of their Anceftors. A 

 third part of the People were difpers'd into other Villages between Ifpahan and 

 Sciras. But the old People dying , the young ones generally turn Mahumttans : 

 lb that now yoti can hardly meet with two Chriitian Armenians in all thofe fair 

 Plains , which their Fathers were fent to manure. 



Among the Ruines of Naksivan appear the Ruines of a great Mofquee , which 

 was one of the moft ftately Buildings in the World : which fome fay was built in 

 memory of Noah's Burying-place. As you depart out of the City , near to the 

 River that runs by it, appears a Tower, which is an excellent piece of Architecture : 

 It is compos'd of four Duomoh joyn'd together , which fupport a kind of Pyramid, 

 that feemsto befram'd of twelve little Towers -, budritoward the middle it changes 

 its figure, and leuening like a Spire, ends in a Point/n The Building is all of Brick, 

 but as well the out-fide as the in-fide is over-fpread with a kind of Varnifh of Parget, 

 wrought into Flowers, like Embofs'd Work., 'Tis thought to have been an Edifice 

 let up by Temur-leng , when he had Conquer'd Per fia. 



Between Naksivan and Zulfa , on each fide , as well to the North as to the South, 

 there are ten Covents of Chriftian Armenians , diftant about two or three Leagues 

 one from the other. They acknowledge the Pope , and are govern'd by certain 

 Religious Dominicans of their own Nation. And to keep up their Religion, they 

 fend from time to time , to Rome , certain Children born in the Country, to learn 

 the Lat in and Italian Tongues, and other neceffary Sciences. It is thought there are 

 in this Quarter above fix thoufand Souls that abfblutely follow the Doctrine of the 

 Church of Rome-, only that they fing the Office and the Mafi in the Armenian 

 Tongue, that all the People may hear and underftand them. The Archbifhop, being 

 cholen, is fent to Rome to be confirm'd. He refides at a great Town , which is one 

 of the moft lovely places in all Afia - the Wine and Fruits that grow there are very 

 delicate, befides the abundance of all other things neeeflàry for Humane Life. Every 

 Coven t ftands near a great Village : the chiefeft where I have been twice , is Aba- 

 rcner , the fécond Abraghonnex , the third Kerna , the fourth Soleta^., the fifth 

 KoHchkachen , the fixth Giaoukj, the fëventh Chiabùnnez, , the eighth Araghouche, 

 the ninth Kauz.uf^, the tenth Ktfouk^, which lyes upon the Frontiers of Curdiflan or 

 nsfffyria. Here it is, that the Armenians believe St. Bartholomew and St. Matthew 

 to have been Martyr'd, of which they pretend to fhew fome Relicks at this day. 

 Many Mahometans came thither out w Devotion , efpecially fuch as are troubled 



with 



